‘Bad Boys 3′ is Looking For a Writer, But Will Martin Lawrence and Will Smith Return?

Though it's been rumored for a while, Sony has made steps to get a 'Bad Boys 3' off the ground and is looking to hire a writer to pen a third entry in the franchise. That doesn't mean that Will Smith, Michael Bay or Martin Lawrence will return, but it's a start.

Deadline is reporting that 'Safe House' scribe David Guggenheim is in talks to work on the script, and that Jerry Bruckheimer will produce the film. The question is if they can bring the gang back together. Michael Bay launched his career with the 1995 film, which at the time felt like a nice throwback to the buddy cop/action films of the 1980's and helped launch Will Smith's movie career. 2003's 'Bad Boys II' came about when Will Smith was one of the biggest stars in the world, and Michael Bay was one of the hottest A-list directors. That sequel was a hard-R celebration of being able to make the most excessive film they could, and if that film works, it because it's so shamelessly over the top.

But these days Michael Bay has been wrapped up in the 'Transformers' franchise, while Will Smith's star is slightly on the wane. It could be that Smith and Martin Lawrence would be eager to return, though it's hard to say if Bay would be as anxious to come back. Then again, it seems Smith and Lawrence are more important to sell the franchise than Bay at this point. There's a lot of hurdles in place, but Sony seems to want this sequel, so that's a start.